the one hand many Bishops besides the first Twelve were called Apostles so Timothy Titus V. Bovii Scholia in constit Apost And Dr. Hammonds Praef. to St. James Clement and abundance more had the Title given them which is the ground of that conjecture of Albaspinaeus and others that the Canones Constitutiones Apostolorum were the Canons and Constitutions virorum Apostolicorum or of these Secundary Apostles so on the other hand the Primary or Twelve Apostles were looked upon to have been Bishops I am sure when St. Peter moved that one should be chosen to succeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 1. 20. in the Apostolate of Judas he look'd upon it as a Succession into his Bishoprick or Episcopal Office that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the part of Apostleship which each of the Twelve had namely a Function and Power Episcopal And accordingly were the Epiph. lib. 1. cont Carpocr Ancients wont to style the Apostles Bishops So Epiphanius saith of Peter and Paul that they were Apostles in respect of their Mission and Bishops in respect of their charge And St. Cyprian bids Deacons to remember that our Lord chose Apostles Cypr. ep 65. ad Rogatianum id est Episcopos Praepositos that is Bishops and Governours and tells them moreover that the Apostles ordained Deacons to be Ministers to the Church and to them in the discharge of their Episcopal Office Episcopatûs sui Ecclesiae ministros And St. Austin is positive that when our Lord laid his hands Quaest in vet Nov. Test q. 97. upon the Apostles ordinavit eos Episcopos he ordained them Bishops Besides many more Testimonies to this purpose which are ready at hand and which yet I omit because this was evidently the Sence of the Ancients because they frequently affirm that Bishops are the Apostles successors that they hold their Place and are of their Degree and come after them in their Office and Function and the like which they would not have said had they not judged the Apostles themselves to have been I mean in their ordinary capacity no more and no less than Bishops 2. Which thing had it been well heeded might have prevented some Learned Tracts which have been written against the Divine Right of Episcopacy For to determin that Christ ordained not Episcopacy seemeth to me to be an Affirmation that He ordained not Apostles for they were invested with that Episcopal power which God be blessed hath continued in the Church hitherto notwithstanding all the gainsayings of Core Now this consideration leadeth us on to the next viz. That as the Apostles received this power themselves so it is proveable out of their Writings that they imparted it to others and invested them with their Apostolick or Episcopal Authority To shew this I shall make choice of three special Instances and they are these 1. First though the Scripture doth not expresly totidem verbis tell us that St. James was Bishop of V. Grot. in ep Ja. Jerusalem yet that he was so we are as certain as the most Ancient Records can make us And indeed St. Luke in his History of the Apostles Acts doth yield us such fair probabilities of this thing that the Testimonies of succeeding times seem to be unquestionably True For in Act. 21. 18. we read that when St. Paul was returned from his Circuit to Jerusalem the next day he and his company went in unto James and all the Elders were present Now certainly James would not have been named distinctly and by himself had he not had a preheminence over the College of Elders that were assembled with him St. Luke singles him out as the Person to whom St. Paul did after a particular manner address himself though all the Elders were there present yet they went in unto James intimating plainly that he was the President over that venerable Society And to confirm this it is likewise observable what is related of this St. James at the famous Convention at Jerusalem Act. 15. The occasion of that Synod was a Controversie about the Necessity and Use of Circumcision and great disputes there were about it at the Council But at last when Peter and the rest had given their Opinions of the matter St. James determins it and puts an end to the debate by his decisive Sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I determine Judge and give Sentence saith he vers 19. and in his Judgement and Determination all did acquiesce This is a plain Argument that St. James was then Bishop of Jerusalem For otherwise why did St. Paul so particularly apply himself to St. James and why did the other Apostles and even Peter himself rest in the Determination of St. James Nay why should St. James take upon him to decide the Controversie For it is certain that this James was not one of the Twelve Apostles All do agree that he had been a Disciple and some think he was our Lords Cousin others do conceive that he was our Lords Brother in Law the Son of Joseph by his former Wife He is called by way of distinction James the Just And if he was not Bishop of Jerusalem how is it imaginable Euseb l. 2. c. 1. that he should have had at those meetings of the Apostles such Eminence Precedency and Authority The Truth is Eusebius tells that the Apostles declined the Honour of being in the Chair and See of Jerusalem and gave it unto this James as for other Reasons so for this Because he was our Saviours near Relation and so he took the Government of the Church with the Apostles saith Eusebius which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some do understand as if he was only taken into the number of the Apostles having been a bare Disciple before but this is a palpable mistake touching the sence of Eusebius for saith he this James the Just was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop of Jerusalem and a World of Testimonies more there are to confirm it Secondly my next instance is in Timothy who was ordained by St. Paul himself the Presbytery concurring as Approvers of his Ordination That he was an Apostolical Prelate we have the Joint Testimonies of all the Primitive Authors which speak of him some affirming him to have been Metropolitan of Asia and all confessing him to have been Bishop of Ephesus Out of those two Epistles which St. Paul sent him it appears that he himself constituted and sixt him at Ephesus requiring him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to abide and settle there 1 Tim. 1. 3. Ephesus was the place of his Residence unless happily the necessities of the Church did oblige him to consult St. Paul for himself was young or the necessities of St. Paul required his attendance for he was his Convert 2. We find that he was to restrain Preachers within the boundaries of c. 1. 3. Truth and to charge some that they should teach no other c. 2. 1. 2. 10. 11. Doctrine He was
Bishop and Presbyter indifferently and promiscuously to those of both Orders There is no necessity for us to admit of a community of Names because those places which seem to infer this Community may be fairly understood though we do appropriate the name of Bishop to a Bishop and the name of Presbyter to a Presbyter This will appear from a particular view of the several Texts which if we can understand without being obliged to confound Names then farwell that grand Principle which the Classical Divines have taken for granted and which is the main and sole Argument to prove a parity and equality of power among all Church Officers above the Degree of Deacons One famous place alleaged is Acts 20. 17. there S. Paul sends to Ephesus and calls the Elders or Presbyters of the Church to him at Miletus and then he saith ver 28. Take heed unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 overseers or as it should be rendered Bishops Here say they the Names of Presbyters and Bishops is given to the same men and so the Office and Power of these men was the same But I pray my Masters why so What necessity is there for this positive Assertion Were none with S. Paul at this time but Presbyters Yes Irenaeus who lived near the Apostles time will tell you Iren. adv Haer. l. 1. c. 14. that S. Paul called together both Bishops and Presbyters Were none there but the Clergy of the City of Ephesus Yes the same ancient Writer tells you that the Clergy of all the Cities round about were there too In Mileto convocatis Episcopis Presbyteris qui erant ab Epheso à reliquis proximis civit atibus The Bishops and Presbyters were called from Ephesus and from other neighbouring Cities And indeed S. Pauls words do intimate thus much for saith he ver 18. Ye know from the first day I tame into Asia after what manner I have been with you at all seasons Now S. Paul had been with the Bishops and Presbyters of other Cities in Asia besides Ephesus and S. Paul's speaking to them and appealing to their Knowledge of his Behaviour doth plainly argue that they were with him now and that this Convention did consist of very many of the Asiatic Bishops and Presbyters There is then neither necessity nor reason to imagine that onely the inferiour sort of Clergy appeared at the Apostle's Summons much less that he should call them Bishops Rather it is presumable that as he spake to all in general so that he directed his speech chiefly to the most honourable and principal part of that Reverend Assembly and that he called them Bishops who were so in truth and told them that the Holy Ghost had made them Bishops over their respective Charges so addressing himself immediately and more particularly to them whose Office it was to superintend the Flock of Christ and to obviate the Incursion of Wolves And thus this place may be fairly understood without confounding of Names without offering violence to History or without robbing the Bishops to give their Title and Honour unto Presbyters because it is reasonable to conceive that the Apostle convened Bishops and Presbyters too and spake directly and immediately to the Prelates of whom 't is likely that Timothy was the chief and to the rest accommodating himself collaterally secundarily and by Grot. in loc way of reflexion Another place which has been hotly urged in this Controversie is that mentioned before in Tit. 1. 5 6 7. where Titus is left in Crete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might constitute Presbyters city by city if any were blameless the husband of one wife for a bishop must be blameless saith the Apostle Now they who accuse Bishops as Corah did Moses and Aaron for taking too much upon them triumph mightily Num. 16. from this Text as if the Names of Bishop and Presbyter were clearly synonimous But upon due examination we find that the Apostle's Sence doth not at all carry it this way much less is there a necessity for us to understand him after this manner For all that S. Paul requires of Titus here seemeth to be this that he would advance the Presbyters which were under him and ordain them Bishops and dispose of them into Cities fixing each of them to a certain Cure that is such of them as were approved men for a Bishop must be blameless This Sence is easie and the thing is probable For questionless there were many Presbyters now in Crete whether ordain'd by S. Paul before his departure or by Titus himself afterwards I will not dispute but many Presbyters there were it being impossible for Titus to take a due care of so considerable an Island without Assistants 'T is likely therefore that when S. Paul was going away either he left Presbyters behind him or appointed Titus to ordain some to take part of his burthen and advised him not to prefer them hastily but to prove them first and then to ordain them Bishops having made sufficient experiment of their Abilities and Fitness for so great a Trust And in this Epistle sent to him from Nicopolis he minds him of that which he order'd him before viz. that upon proof and tryal made of his Presbyters he should promote them and set them over Cities over every City one for saith he a Bishop must be blameless So that according to this easie and fair Construction there can be no pretence of any confusion of Names because the Apostle doth not mean that Titus should take Deacons or Laymen into the Order of Presbyters but that he should advance such as were Presbyters already into the superiour Order of Bishops and having first consecrated and ordained them to assign each of them his Diocese and City that they might be invested with their Episcopal Authority and Jurisdiction too And this seems to be that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Constitution or Promotion of Presbyters which the Apostle requireth here Other places there are where St. Paul speaketh of Bishops and Deacons only without taking notice of an intermediate rank of Clergy as 1 Tim. 3. he gives instructions for the Ordination of Bishops and Deacons And in Phil. 1. 1. he saluteth the Saints at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons Whence the Adversaries of Episcopacy do conclude that by Bishops there Presbyters are intended otherwise we must suppose them to be past over wholly which is not to be conceived the Apostle would do But by their good leave I do assert that where the Apostle mentioneth Bishops he ever meaneth such as are truly and properly Bishops not including Presbyters under that Notion And for the clearing of the Objection three things are observable 1. First that when Churches began to be gathered many Epiph. haeres 68. times it happened that two Churches were in one and the same City the one consisting of believing Jews the other
deliver this City from evil days from famine from pestilence and from invasion Compare this Prayer with S. Cyprians words and then judge if he did not point to this or to some other Form to the same purpose and of the same strain Again whereas Celsus the Pagan slandered the Christians as men given to Magical Arts and Sorceries Origen who was but one remove from the times of the Apostles affirmes positively and upon certain experience that they who worship Orig. adv Cess lib. 6. the Lord of the Vniverse by Jesus Christ and live according to the Gospel using night and day constantly and rightly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prayers which were Appointed cannot come under the power of Devils There is little Reason to doubt but that by these Prayers he means the Nocturnal and Diurnal Offices which we then prescribed and ordered by the Church and less Reason there is to fancy that such were not used in his time and for confirmation of this it is observeable that Origen himself else where quotes a customary Form then in use We frequently Orig. Hâ—om 11. in Jerem. say in our Prayers Grant us O Almighty God grant us a Portion with the Prophets grant us a place among the Apostles of thy Christ grant that we may be found followers of thine onely begotten Questonless this was an usual Form in the Alexandrian Liturgy and though we do not now find it in so many express words in the Liturgy ascribed to S. Mark yet we find in it a form to the same purpose grant us O Lord to have our Portion and inheritance with all thy Saints And in the Aethiopick Liturgy it is twice Lit. S. Marci in Anaphorâ Be propitious unto us O Lord and vouchsafe to make us joint-Possessors and partakers of the inheritance of the Apostles and cause us to follow their steps And again Lord write our names in the Kingdom of Heaven and joyn us with all thy Saints and Martyrs Furthermore Tertullian another African writer and somewhat Elder then Origen speaking of the Jam vero prout Scripturae leguntur aut Psalmi canuntur aut Adlocutiones proferuntur aut Petitiones delegantur c. Tert de Anima c. 3. Divine-service in his time which he calls Dominica Solennia reckons up four parts of it the Reading of Scripture the Singing of Psalms Allocutions and Petitions This place being throughly understood is very pregnant and full to our purpose 1. Here we have the reading of the Scriptures which in those early and pious times was perform'd not with that conciseness and brevity which was usual in after-ages but 't was Lectio fusissima and Lit. S. Jacob. large potions were read both out of the old and the new Testament 2. They Sung whole Psalms not only those composed by David and other Prophets among the Jews but as we shall see hereafter several Hymns and Songs of Praise which had been framed in the beginning by Faithful Christians and more immediately relating to the Christian Religion 3. But then a doubt may be moved what Tertullian means by those Allocutions which were made to the people and uttered at large for that I conceive to be his sence And the difficulty may be easily assoiled if we call to mind that in the Primitive times it was a general custome for the Deacon that read the service to direct the people in their devotion to tell them what they should pray for and to stir them up to beg such and such things of God calling upon them after this manner Let us pray let us pray earnestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let us pray on yet further and with an intense Zeal and other such Forms there were which he frequently used and then dictated to them the matter of their devotion to which all the people gave their Suffrages readily and with much fervency of Spirit Litany-wise Now these Forms of exhortation were called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latines rendred Allocutions We call it Bidding of Prayers And though the custome be for certain Reasons grown much out of use among us yet there are many plain footsteps of it to Clem. Const be seen in our Liturgy especially in our Litany and Communion-service in which offices it was most used of old for the Minister is often ordered to say Let us pray let us pray And as to the custome it self it is so Ancient that I cannot find the beginning of it and 't was so universal that 't was observed in all the Primitive Churches for in all the Liturgies which I have yet seen either of the Eastern or Western or African Churches such Allocutory Expressions are still extant more or less Sometimes the Minister used short and concise Forms saying Let us Pray let us behave our selves reverently Lift up your hearts let us give thanks unto the Lord and to these the Congregation gave their customary Answers Sometimes these Allocutions were more large as for instance in that Prayer for Persons who intended to be Baptized to which several others did correspond the Minister said on this wise as we find in an African Liturgy Let us that are Believers pray for our brethren who prepare themselves for holy Illumination or Baptism and for their salvation let us beseech the Lord And the People answered Lord have mercy That our Lord God may please to confirm and strengthen them let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy That he may please to illuminate them with the light of knowledge and godliness let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy That he may please in due time to vouchsafe them the Laver of Regeneration and forgiveness of their sins let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy That he may please to regenerate them with water and the Holy Ghost let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy That he may please to give them a perfection of Faith let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy That he may please to gather them into the holy Fold of his Elect let us beseech the Lord Ans Lord have mercy O Lord save pity help and keep them by thy good Grace Ans Lord have mercy These and such Forms as these were undoubtedly used by the Churches of Christ in the first Ages of Christianity And these were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Allocutions which Tertullian speaks of as used in his time and anon I shall make it probably appear that they were used before his time too 4. In the mean time it is observable that in the place before-cited he makes mention of Petitions also used in the Publick Assemblies of Christians By which I understand certain entire Prayers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Collects when the requests of the Church were cast into one Body of Prayer offered up by the Minister to which the People answered Amen In the use of these he was the Apol. c. 30. mouth of
praise thee we sing unto thee we bless thee we glorifie thee we worship thee through our Great High-Priest thee the very true God the unbegotten inaccessible Being for thy great glory O Lord heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord God the Father of Christ that spotless Lamb that taketh away the sin of the World receive our prayer thou that sittest upon the Cherubims For thou only art holy thou only O Jesus art the Lord the anointed of God our King to whom be Glory Honor and Worship ascribed This was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 morning Prayer or Hymn so called in the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constitutions and 't was usual at the close of the holy Sacrament And if it was not this Hymn which Pliny mean't some other of the like nature it was which he pointed to And so from all these Testimonies put together I do conclude that in the Apostles days there were certain set Forms of praise which was one main part of the ordinary Service then in their peculiar and select Assemblies 2 As touching Prayers which made up the other part of Gods Worship S. Paul saith to Timothy 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. I exhort that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority c. 1. Here it is clear that the Apostle doth enumerate several sorts kinds and parts of devotion making a plain distinction and difference between supplications against all evil things and Prayers for all good things and Intercessions for others as well for themselves and Tanksgivings for mercies already received There is no doubt but he meaneth several distinct offices unless we be so impudent as to affirm that S. Paul heaped up many words to no purpose 2. It is clear that he required that these several offices should be observed these distinct Acts of Devotion should be performed in the Christian Church and to shew the necessity of it the Apostle exhorteth Timothy to take care of it first of all 3. It is as clear that the whole Church of Christ hath conceived and taken for granted in all Ages that the Apostle in this place did intend to fix a certain Rule of Devotion and did order a Platform and Model to be observed in all publick Services and especially at the Celebration of the holy Communion Indeed the words of S. Paul do not force us to believe that he required Prayers to be composed and digested into a certain Form although that expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bear that sense but yet the Judgement of the Church was that the Apostle did design and intend to have a standing Rule and Model of Devotion set up S. Chrysostome puts the Question what doth the Apostle mean when he saith I exhort that first of all supplications prayers c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith that excellent and Ancient Father S. Paul meaneth that this must be done in our daily services and this saith he we do daily both at Morning and S Chrysost in 1 Tim. 2. 1. Evening Service such Supplications Prayers Intercessions and Thanksgivings they had prescribed and fixt and in using them they did conceive that they answered the Apostles design and did according to his Order Directions and Appointment To the same purpose S. Ambrose upon Haec Regula Ecclesiastica est tradita a Magistro Gintilium qua utuntur sacerdotes nostri ut pro omnibus supplicent c. Ambros Comment the place saith This is an Ecclesiastical Law delivered by the Doctor of the Gentiles and observed by our Priests to pray for all men and particuarly for Kings c. Questionless the good man conceived that the Church was obliged by virtue of this Apostolical precept to use some constant Forms of Prayer for all men in general and especially for such as were in Authority And though this was done frequently in the time of Publick Service for fear they should fall short of their duty yet S. Austin was of opinion that S. Paul In hujus Sacramenti Sanctificatione distributionis preparatione existimo Apostolum jussisse proprie fieri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Orationes S. Aug. ep 59. ad Paulin. Sol. q. 5. had an eye chiefly to the time when the Blessed Sacrament was celebrated and that then these charitable Prayers were commanded to be made as in their proper and fit place And to confirm S. Austins opinion I observe of the Church of England that though Prayers for all men and for Kings be directed by her to be made in several places of her Liturgy yet in the prayer for the whole Church before the Communion particular mention is made of this command of the Apostles as if in her judgement S. Paul required such Prayers to be used at that time chiefly In a word the manifest agreement of all Liturgies in this particular and the constant uniform and universal practise of all Christians from the beginning all along using certain Forms of Supplication Prayer Intercession and Thanksgiving for all men and for Kings especially and that too in the Communion-office is a loud and clear argument to me that they conceived this their practice to have been according to the Apostles order and those their Forms to have been according to the Apostles mind And hence I conclude that either the whole Catholick Church hath not yet understood St. Pauls sense but has been clearly mistaken in his meaning which I hope will never be granted or else that that carries much truth in it which Durantus Cites out of Haymo viz. that the Blessed Apostle Durant de Rit Eccl. lib. 2. c. 33. directing his words to Timothy did in and by him deliver unto all Bishops and Presbyters and to every Church a Form how they should celebrate the Sacrament and pray for all men which Form or Model the whole Church doth observe From all which the least that we can gather is that certain Forms of Divine service were allowed and approved of even in the Apostles time But to speak freely it seems very probable that the holy Apostles did in their ordinary Ministrations observe Forms of Prayer themselves notwithstanding those extroardinary assistances of the Spirit which they were blest with I do not say that they Prayed by Book as they did in following Ages Nor do I mean that they tied themselves to words as they did when the miraculous Gifts of the holy Ghost ceased but this I do affirm as highly probable that the Apostles used a certain Form or Method and that the matter and substance of their ordinary services was for the most part the same My reasons are these three chiefly 1. Because St. Paul advised Timothy who was gifted as well as others 1 Tim. 4. 14. to a fixt Rule Model and Form of Publick Devotion which advice it is not likely that he would have given unto him had not he himself and his
fellow Apostles observed the same course 2. It is observable that there is such a marvellous Harmony and Correspondence between all ancient Liturgies in the materia substrata matter body and substance of them that it is not imaginable by men that will give their impartial Judgement how there could be that harmony without a general consent or how there could be that general consent without the Apostles directions Some indeed have been forward to expose the Errors of the ancient Fathers and as forward to expose the Corruptions of the Ancient Service-books and we aswell as they do acknowledge those Service-books to have been tainted since they were first compiled but yet I never saw any one sufficient Argument to prove that the main frame of those Liturgies was not founded upon the practice of the Apostles nay it is very probable that the old Compilers of those Liturgies took their measures from the Practice of the Apostles 3. For Thirdly S. Chrysostome speaking of the Constitution of S. Chrysost in Rom. 8. 26. Hom. 14. the Apostles times tells us that among other extroardinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost then there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gift of Prayer that this Gift was not bestowed upon all but upon some one a few in comparison that the persons thus inspired did pray for all the rest and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with much compunction and with many groans and moreover that they taught others to pray also Now a man that would be nice might make it a question what S. Chrysostome means when he saith that these gifted men taught others to pray and whether his sense be not this that they dictated prayers to the Congregation by calling upon them to join their suffrages for such and such Mercies If so then here is an account of the Original reason and use of those Allocutory Forms of Prayer which were so anciently and so universally received And that de facto it Was so seemeth to be probable from a following passage in St. Chrysostome where he tells us that the manner of Deacons praying in his time did which resemble and was correspondent to the way after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those inspired persons prayed in the Apostolick Age now that was Litany-wise and it was a very ancient and very usual way of teaching people to pray as was noted before out of Justine Martyr and others and that it is not unlike to the style and strain of Gods Spirit shall be shewed hereafter In the mean time if there be any truth in S. Chrysostomes account of this matter we must couclude that the men who were thus enabled to Pray did teach others either by propounding prayers to them that they might give their consent to them saying Lord have mercy or some such Form or by using the same prayers frequently so that by the often repetition of them they might the better be fixed in peoples memories or by committing those Prayers which they had conceived to writing that they might be of constant use unto the whole Church in their ordinary services Which way soever we pitch upon it is very unlikely that the Apostles who ordered all things unto edification would not order the Worship of God so that all people might go along with them in it with their hearts and with their tongues too It is unlikely that they who did insist so much upon order and decency would not be careful rather of that which is most material It is unlikely that they who would not indure any Confusion any Irreverence any Vncomliness not so much as a mans Head to be covered in the Service of God would not settle the service it self and cast it into such a Model that all Christians might bear a part in it The Learned and Judicious Dr. Hammond was clearly of opinion View of the New Directory that such as had the Gift of prayer in the Apostles days did first conceive and then did frequently use some special Forms of Prayer for daily and constant wants and that these Forms were received and kept by Apostolical men who had so benefited under them And it seemeth reasonable to believe that this was the Original of those Ancient Liturgies which go under the names of S. James S. Peter S. Mark c. should it not be allowed that they were the Pen-men and Compilers of any Service-books yet there are fair Arguments to perswade that these and other inspired persons did conceive indite and utter many admirable Forms of Prayer which are still in being as to the matter and substance of them and that these Forms were methodized and cast together into several Bodies by some Apostolical men to be the standing Church-service For the extroardinary Gift of Prayer beginning to fail there was a necessity for certain fixt and prescript Forms and what better Forms could they use then what had been used by the Apostles themselves and which they remembred and knew and kept upon Record And so I conceive the Ancient Liturgies came to be compiled and perfected by the pious diligence of holy and good men who made what Collections they could of this and that Apostles prayers and added others where it was needful For it was some considerable time before these Liturgies were perfectly compleated because some Doctors of the Church were ever and anon desirous of prescribing new Forms of their own and of adding them to the old stock And this was a thing so usual in those early times that some Councels were fain to V. Concil Milevit Can. 12. Carthag Can. 23. Zonar in Can. 18. Concilii Laodiceni interpose and restrain men from adding Prayers of their own at their pleasure The Reason of this was founded on the Practice of the Apostles and Apostolical persons their Co-temporaries and Followers 't was in imitation and by example of them that Bishops in succeeding Ages did prescribe certain special prayers of their composing because they had observed that many Forms had been conceived heretofore by S. James for the use of the Churches of Jerusalem and that the like had been done not onely by other Apostles for the use of other Churches but also by the Apostles immediate successors who had collected many Prayers composed by their Predecessors and added more of their own Conception which gave encouragemant to others to do so too till Liturgies did swell so that S. Basil and S. Chrysostome thought it convenient to abridge them All this framing composing and prescribing of Forms of Prayer was originally occasioned by Apostolical practice And for what the Holy Apostles did in this matter there are such precedents as are beyond all manner of exception For so did David and other inspired persons of old conceive prescribe and deliver Forms of Service unto the Church under the Law So did S. John the Baptist in Christs time teach his Disciples to pray by giving them a Form Nay so did Christ himself teach the very Apostles